218 
D0TTINGS ON THE ROADSIDE. [Chap. XIII.— B. P. 
“Dignity,” wliere all the world had assembled for the 
occasion, and a goodly company was already hard at 
work, dancing with a vigour more suitable to the tem¬ 
perature of the North Pole than that of a condition 
of parboiling, our chronic state at Port Eoyal. The 
music was really good,—brought over, as our hostess 
informed us, regardless of expense from Kingston; 
and as for the supper arrangements, they were 
unique, yet simple in the extreme, and therefore 
worthy of imitation. Josephine had invited compe¬ 
tition amongst the itinerant street-vendors of sweets, 
cakes, fruits, and drinks; and those commercial in¬ 
truders walked round the room, offering their pro¬ 
perty for sale, and rigorously exacting payment in 
the first place. 
Before Ave entered, Miss Josephine stated, in a 
wheedling tone, that her “ Dignity ” would surpass 
anything of the sort ever before attempted at Port 
Eoyal, and that it was open to the “ brave captain and 
officers ” to contribute a few “ bits ” towards defray¬ 
ing the expenses, which would be enormous. The 
captain and officers did contribute a good many bits, 
being quite unable to withstand the lady’s entreaties. 
Entering a large and neatly decorated room, duly an¬ 
nounced and ushered in with great pride by Miss Jose¬ 
phine (who peremptorily stopped her guests in the 
middle of a dance to introduce her distinguished 
friends), we found a goodly bevy of women,—I beg your 
pardon, fair damsels, ladies I mean,—dressed in the 
very extreme of fashion, with crinolines of most amaz¬ 
ing dimensions; while each and every one seemed 
